Andy Soucek is still hopeful of driving in Formula One next season after severing his contract with the fledgling Virgin Racing team.

Soucek was reported to have left the team because of his frustration at not being given the test driving opportunities stipulated in his contract.

But the F2 champion told Spanish sports newspaper AS the decision to part company was not acrimonious and the parties left on good terms.

"I asked them to give me the opportunity to continue to race in other categories and they accepted," said Soucek. "The experience [with Virgin] has helped me to come to know F1. I wish them all the best, and they wish the same for me. It [the split] was friendly and nothing to do with payments or non-payments.

"I'm thankful that they didn't cause me any trouble, which they could have done, to break the contractual relationship for good. There was no breach of any kind."

Although Soucek's long-term goal is still to race in Formula One, his main priority now is to get back behind the wheel and return to competitive racing. He has also been linked to replacing the injured Jules Bianchi in his ART GP2 seat.

"On this topic I have only read the rumours, no GP2 team has contacted me yet. My priority is to stay in the orbit of F1. I don't want people to think that the ending with Virgin means I will not return. I will keep trying to have a race seat in 2011.

"I had the opportunity to race in the Superleague and enjoyed it very much. At the moment I would rather race at a lower level than wait for something [at Virgin] that may never come."